First times, last times and once in a lifetime
by Mornings Light
Summary: I hate being on a team with two girls: Neji is going to regret snapping that out... especially when his team consists of Tenten and Lee. [First solo mission.]


A team of three preteens waited patiently outside a large, oak door. Rock Lee, featuring enormous eyebrows, played with his thumbs absent mindedly while Hyuuga Neji fixed his piercing, white eyes onto the door. Tenten, the only girl there, stepped forward and knocked firmly on it for the second time.

She jumped as a lanky man, somewhere in his mid-thirties, hurriedly shook their hands and ushered them inside. He led them into a large room which was heavily decorated in an array of flowers. The man ran his fingers through his wispy hair as he turned to look at them, motioning for them to sit.

"I'm sure you have been told what is expected of you," he began simply, "as I am running for elections this time, I have to protect my family. I have already employed a satisfactory Ninja for my wife and you three are to accompany my young daughter and son whenever and wherever possible."

He observed each of them in turn. Lee shifted uneasily when he placed his eyes upon him.

"I don't expect them to be in any grave danger," he continued, "but I must take the precautions. If anything happens to my son or daughter, I will be sure to inform Gai."

Lee, Neji, and Tenten nodded in understanding. Neji noticed Tenten and Lee clenching their fists tightly on either side of him. He restrained himself from smirking.

"Your first job is to collect them from school, which is in ten minutes time. From there on you will be following my son and daughter."

---

"... Our first mission without Gai-Sensei..." Lee said, holding his fists out in front of him, his eyes sparkling with determination.

The three Genin were now walking down to the school, carefully following the directions on the bit of paper in Tenten's hands. She smiled just as boldly at Lee. Neji gave Lee a harsh laugh.

"And what would _you_ - ," Neji pointed a long finger at Lee, " - be able to do even in such a simple mission as this?"

Lee froze for a moment and then turned around, shaking. His large eyebrows hooked together as he glared at Neji. Tenten sighed, realising she had lost count how many times Neji and Lee did this from the moment all three of them were teamed together a month ago.

Neji - super genius and a superior graduate - always seemed to act as if his other team members were a burden to him and held him back. Right from the start, he hated the idea of acting in a threesome. He made it his duty, however, to deliver to Lee his painful taunting and a show of his amazing skills.

Lee, Tenten had to admit, wasn't one of the best Ninjas around- heck; he couldn't string his two fingers to form the most basic of seals that a five year old could. Even so, he was a great comrade and he gave everything his hundred percent, and loaded with energy. At first, he over-reacted to every one of Neji's remarks, his doll-like eyes narrowing and his fingers trying to aim at that flawless face with white-eyes. However, Tenten convinced him to calm down a level as he was only satisfying Neji more. Unexpectedly, Lee and Tenten had formed a friendly bond over the last month.

Tenten sighed once more and announced that they were lost, cutting across one of Neji's remarks. Lee opened his mouth to speak but shut it very quickly. Neji jerked his head towards Tenten.

She gave a short nod of the head as she repeated, "Yes, we are lost... hm, I think we took the wrong turn on the third street."

Neji walked over to Tenten and wrenched the map away from her hand. He observed the paper carefully and gave a sinister glare at Lee for some reason. Lee's eyes widened to their largest extent while he put out his hands defensively in front of him.

"Well, Hyuuga, it looks your magical powers can't help us here now, can they?" Lee said smugly.

Choosing to ignore him, Neji raced off at top speed allowing his bloodline limit to guide him. Tenten and Lee sped off after him. After a couple of minutes chasing Neji, the two of his team mates noticed he wasn't there in front of them anymore.

"He could have waited for us," Lee groaned, sharply coming to a stop.

Tenten climbed up a nearby beech tree only to see winding streets and many people scattered about her below in the distance. For a moment, she was about to race back down the trunk until she caught sight of a familiar mahogany-haired boy. There seemed to be two figures accompanying him.

"I found him," Tenten shouted down to Lee, "it looks like he went to pick the kids up himself."

Lee grumbled something inaudible but started marching towards the direction Tenten was pointing to. Tenten jumped down from the tree and managed to catch up to him within no time. For the next thirty minutes, Tenten and Lee ran down countless streets and turned numerous corners. With no sight of Neji at all.

Panting hard, Lee's legs slowed down as he started moving into a slow-paced walk. "It looks like we're lost again."

"I'll try asking for directio – " Tenten murmured but was cut off by a soft thud behind her.

Lee's fist was against a brick wall, a small trickle of blood making it's way between his index and middle finger. His other fist was clenched and shaking. "Why does Hyuuga have to be this way?"

Tenten's eyebrows drooped. She slowly walked over to Lee and placed a hand on his shoulder. She said softly, "Do you not like it that Neji does everything on his own and leaves us behind?"

Lee looked up at her and gave her a stiff nod. "'He is too arrogant. He thinks he is better than us - he underestimates us too much. But you manage to accept this better than me."

Tenten's lips curved into a sympathetic smile while she shook her head. 

"It's true that I don't get heated up about it as much as you," Tenten agreed. "Lee, I also don't like the way Neji treats us. I tried, the moment I met him, to get to know him and then to give him his space. But sometimes... I don't understand him at all." Tenten looked up above at the white clouds chasing one another in the bright blue sky.

"Why don't you just tell him like I do. I'm sure he'll listen if it's two against one," Lee said, his large eyes blinking many times.

"No. I want to respect his wishes. If he doesn't want to team up with us then its fine by us. We can be in a team of two, Lee."

Lee looked distastefully at Tenten for suggesting this. However, he came to the realisation that this was what Neji probably would like. They could all work separately, him with Tenten and Neji could just practice his 'exclusive' family jutsu by himself.

Finally, the mysterious boy returned, a smug almost-smile on his face as the children trailed behind him. The kids were gawking at him like he was superman.

"Yeah an' he's a real ninja!" they chattered together, looking dreamily up at Neji.

"Neji, why did you go off like that?" Tenten asked him, Lee could tell that her patience with him was wearing thin.

"You were both too slow." Neji eyed her and Lee distastefully. "I hate being stuck with _two_ pathetic girls."

Lee was just about to ram a fist to wipe that smile, but he was surprised that someone else had beaten him to it. It was _Tenten_, and apparently, Neji was surprised as well, since his white eyes became wider.

"Do you _want_ to produce children?" Tenten said shrilly, her eyes flashing dangerously. 

She had already whipped out her nunchaku's from her waist band and was swinging them around menacingly. Lee would never look at Tenten the same again… she wasn't sweet or calm at all…

"Because I can castrate you this very instant, Hyuuga Neji!"

Lee didn't dare laugh, even though he wanted to when Neji's cheek swelled up from where she'd hit him. For once, the boy who went by fate was at a loss for words.


End file.
